Apparatus for treating ores.



No. 699,457. Patented May .6, |902.v

A. M. DORE J. SPANG.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING GRES.

(Application filed Feb. 19, 1902.) (lo Model.) 3 SheetSr--Sheet I,

No. 699.457. Patented May 6, |902.

A. M BURR 8l. J. SPANG.

APPARATUS FDR TREATlNG DRES.

(Appunzion mea Feb. 19, 1902.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

l/lf//Vgssx- [NIA/ENTO/es .ffy 37@ Mmmm/Zwan,

` MawwMfmey Nrr Srarns WAN nieren.

ANDREW M. DORR AND JOSEPH SPANG, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS TO CHEMICAL AND ELECTRICAL ORE REDUCING COM- PANY, OF WEST VIRGINIA.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING ORES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 699,457, dated May 6, 1902.

Application filed February 19, 1902. Serial No. 94,829. (No model.)

T0 ctZZ 107mm it may concern:

Be it known that we,ANDREW M. DORRand JOSEPH SPANG, citizens of the United States, and residents of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Treating Ores, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to an apparatus for the treatment of ores, which has been designed more particularly with a View to its use in a process for the production of matte directly from the ore, which we have Ymade the subject of an application,Serial No. 94,828, for Letters Patent of even date herewith, said process being a continuous reduction process involving the three steps of roasting, smelting the roasted ore, and purifying' the smelted ore, in connection with the employment of a downdraft and a gas rich in oxygen which is injected into and supplied to the reductionehamber and the matte-chamber of the furnace.

We will first describe in connection with the accompanying drawings the preferred construction and arrangement of the parts i of the apparatus and will then point out, more particularly in the claims those features of the same which we believe to be new and of our invention.

In said drawings, Figure l is a sectional elevation of the complete apparatus. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the furnace. is a perspective view of the molten-metal receiver. Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the furnace. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the same, and Fig. 6 is a longitudinal vertical central section of the furnace on enlarged scale.

A is the body of the furnace, made of firebrielr or any approved material.

B is the reducing-chamber, into which the ore is charged. Z9 represents grate-bars of refractory material at the bottom'of said chambers.

b is a door in the side of the furnace above the grate-surface, through which the cinders can be withdrawn.

The chamber B is closed at top by a cover b2, carrying a hopper b3, through which coke and other material can be supplied to Fig. 3'

the chamber during the process of reduction, said hopper having a removable cover b4 at the top and a dumping-gate b5 at or near its bottom, so that after the material has been charged into the hopper the cover b4 can be closed before the gate b5 is opened, thus preventing cold air from entering the chamber B through the hopper.

C represents charcoal-chambers formed in the furnace-walls at or near the top of the chamber B and communicating with the latter, asshown. These charcoal-chambers are provided eachwith a grate c, a door c,through which charcoal or other fuel can be supplied to the chamber above the grate c, and a door c2 below the grate,throu gh which air can enter, said air on its way to the reduction-chamberB being compelled to pass up through the burning fuel on the grate c and being thus highly heated before it can enter the reductionchamber. These chambers C,are in effect,air flues, through which atmospheric airis drawn from the outside into the reduction-chamber and is heated during its passage through such tlues.

Below the reduction-chamber is the matte chamber D. This chamber,l which is shown open at the front in Fig. 2, is when the furnace is in operation closed at this point by slabs cl of fire-clay or other refractory mate rial luted into place, as indicated in Fig. 1,

said slabs being provided with the usual peepholes; through which observations may be taken.V The matte-chamber contains the molten-metal receiver E, Figs. 1, 3, made of or `lined with suitable refractory material, which receiver is suported above the bottom of the chamber on side supports d,which may have the form of rails, as shown, the bottom of the receiver E being formed with corresponding rails e to fit on side rails d', and then allow the receiver to be readily drawn out from or pushed into the matte.- chamber. There is a communicating space in the mattechamber above, below, and at the front of the receiver E, forming a passage through which the heat and flame and other products of combustion pass over, down in front of, and thence underneath the receiver,which is thus subjected to intense heat on all sides. Frein ICQ the rear of the matte-chamber at a point below the receiver the products of combustion pass through an opening cl2 into a flue F, and thence to the suction-fan G, Fig. 1, which discharges into the chimney-stack H. By this fan a downdraft is created and maintained in the reduction-chamberB and mattechamber D.

Extending down into the reduction-chamberB through the cover b2 are pipes i, through which the gas which We prefer to employ in oui` present process-a highly-oxygenated hydrocarbon gas-is discharged into the said chamber. We prefer to make these pipes flexible, and therefore they are vertically movable or adjustable, so that the position of their discharge ends or nozzles relatively to the charge in the chamber can be varied at will. The pipes t', provided with regulating valves or cocks-t', Fig. 5, connect with pipej, leading from the gasometer J, containing the gas. Another pipejleadsfromthegasometer to pipes or nozzles 7c, (Figs. 1, 4, 6,) which enter the matte-chamber D from the rear and so as to discharge above the receiver E therein.

In the present instance the gas is obtained by forcing (by means of an air-pump K, Fig. 1, and connecting-pipe Z) atmospheric air through a receptacle L, containing a solution of ingredients which When air is passed through the same will impregnate and combine with said air, so as to oxygenate it and in effect to convert it into a highly-oxygenated gas, and as we find it desirable also to charge the same with a fuel gas or vapor we pass it (by a pipe m) on its way to the gasometer through a holder M, containing gasolene or the like, whence it passes by pipe n started, thus creating a downdraft, the course of which through the furnace is indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1. As soon as the charge in the reduction-chamber has become fairly ignited gas in limited quantity is admitted through pipes c', which meets and mingles with the heated atmospheric air drawn in through the'charcoal-chambers. This continues during the roasting stage of the proeess. When the smelting stage is reached, the doors c2 ofthe charcoal-chambers are closed and full head of gas from pipest'is turned on to produce smelting heat. As soon as the metal begins to run into the mattechamber below the gas-jets 7c there are turned.

Athe process is unnecessary, inasmuch as it is not here claimed, but, as before said, forms the subject of our companion application of even date herewith, in which it is fully set forth and explained.

Having described our improvement and the best way now known to us of carrying the same into effect, what we here claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Apparatus for treating ores, comprising a red uction-chamber; a matte-chamber below and communicating with the reduction-chamber; means for creating and maintaining a downdraft through the reduction and then through the matte-chamber, charcoal-chambers C communicating with the upper part of said reduction-chamber; gas-jetslocated in both the reduction-chamber and the mattechamber; and a source of supply of gas under pressure having controllable communication with said gas-jets, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

2. A furnace for the treatment of ores having a reduction-chamber; charcoal-chambers C communicating with the upper portion of said reduction-chamber; a matte-chamber below the reduction-chamber; a molten-metal receiver in said matte-chamber; means for creating and maintaining a downdraft in said furnace, downward through the reduction-chamber thence down, into and through the matte-chamber and around the receiver therein, and thence out from the furnace,` and means for introducing` gas into both the reduction-chamber and the matte-chamber, substantially as and for the purposes herein-V before set forth.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands this 5th day of February, 1902.

ANDREWr M. DORR. JOSEPH SPAN G.

W'itnesses: Y y

GLEMENs SPANG, S. J. Bossu.

IOS 

